2011 Information Technology Accessibility Working Group (ITAWG) work plan. Date reviewed: 28/09/2011
Disability Action Plan Task
1
2
ITS to identify key positions
with responsibility for assistive
technology & include
responsibilities in relevant
position descriptions & work
plans
ITS to establish an assistive
technology budget line to meet
its responsibility for
maintenance and upgrading of
software.
3
ITS to identify key positions
with responsibility for assistive
technology & include
responsibilities in relevant
position descriptions & work
plans
4
ITS to identify key positions
with responsibility for assistive
technology & include
responsibilities in relevant
position descriptions & work
plans
ex
t
ITS to identify key positions
with responsibility for assistive
technology & include
responsibilities in relevant
position descriptions & work
plans.
ITS to identify key positions
with responsibility for assistive
technology & include
responsibilities in relevant
position descriptions & work
plans
6
7
ITAWG Outcome
Implementation: Develop
installation, configuration and
testing guidelines for the
successful implementation of AT
on the MOE.
Maintenance:
Develop policies and procedures
to ensure that AT is reinstalled,
configured and tested with each
updated version of MOE, lectopia
and other relevant
platforms/applications
Evaluation/Continuous
improvement: Develop
methodologies for monitoring the
ongoing accessibility of the MOE,
assist in the definition of new
assistive technologies and
evaluation of their suitability.
Implementation: Test AT on the
MOE
Task
For Windows XP and Windows7 update
installation and configuration and testing
documentation for:
 Dragon 11
 TextHelp 9/10
 JAWS 12
Purchase licenses for:
 Dragon 11
 TextHelp 9/10
 JAWS 13 & 14
Responsibility
Michael Thomas and
Assistive Technology
Advisor.
Timeframe
Start
Finish
JAN
April
Performance
measure
Updated
documentatio
n
Progress and
date
Completed
Assistive technology
advisor and software
procurement
JAN
JAN
Software
available for
installation.
Completed
Identification of who is responsible for
Assistive technology
tasks/workflow for AT testing, deployment advisor, student IT
method, installation and updating for
services Manager
Windows7 MOE. Identify staff responsible and MOE team.
at points in workflow.
AUG
SEPT
Workflow
document
finalised and
agreed upon.
Completed
All AT tested with MOE deployment
method. Include Windows active directory
for user groups and automatic start up.
Packaging to ensure that software
deployment is not hardware dependent.
Assistive technology
advisor, student IT
services Manager
and MOE team.
OCT
Dec
Software
ready for
deployment
with Windows
7 by end of
2011.
28/9 Both Dragon 11
and Jaws 12 done.
TextHelp 10 and
ZoomText 9.1 have
not yet been tested
by MOE packaging
team for
deployment under
the new Windows 7
setup
Implementation and
maintenance.
Identification of who is responsible for
workflow for testing JAWS and ZoomText
on new hardware. Identify staff
responsible at points in workflow.
Procurement & Assistive
technology advisor,
student IT services
Manager
OCT
DEC
Workflow
document
finalised and
agreed upon
No longer
relevant s the
above
Maintenance
Identify owner and administrator of user
list
ITAWG members
JAN
MAR
Michael Thomas
owner.
Completed
Evaluation/Continuous
improvement
Comparative evaluation of accessibility
features of Window7, MAC OS, IPAD and
popular assistive technologies
(ZoomText, JAWS, TextHelp and
Dragon).
Assistive technology
advisor.,Borisut
Padungpokkasoon and
Michael Lescohier
Dec
Dec
Owner of user
list, and
process
identified.
User list kept
up-to-date.
Evaluation
document
available on
ITAWG
website.
Appropriate
assistive
technology is
8
Evaluation/Continuous
improvement
MAC representative to be organised to
demonstrate accessibility features to
ITAWG members and interested RMIT
students staff.
Laurie Davis
MAR
SEPT
9
Evaluation/Continuous
improvement
Assist RMIT psychology department and
study and learning centre in researching
the effectiveness of “Inspiration” mind
mapping software and “Rational Mind
Mapping” software:
 Train students and staff
 Deploy software as required.
Assistive technology
advisor.
JAN
DEC
10
ITS to establish an assistive
technology budget line to meet
its responsibility for
maintenance and upgrading of
software
Evaluation/Continuous
improvement
Investigate the relevance of mindmapping software, “Inspiration”, and
argument mapping software, “Rationale”,
to teaching and learning.
Evaluate the extent to which this software
should be available at RMIT.
Assistive technology
advisor.
MAR
Dec
11
Address the need of people
using speech recognition and
screen enlargement software –
Director of library
Develop procedures to ensure
appropriate software is made
available in the Library and
computer labs in a timely
manner.- – Director of library
Evaluation/Continuous
improvement
E-readers to be trialed as assistive
technologies when texts are available in
accessible electronic format.
Manager, Document
Services (Julie Wilson) &
Assistive technology
advisor (Martin Kelly)
When
accessibl
e text is
available
TBC
selected for
RMIT.
Comparative
evaluation, as
mentioned
above, to be
informed by
MAC
representative
.
Staff trained
in the use of
Inspiration.
RMIT staff are
provided with
the
opportunity to
attend
demonstration
and
information
sessions.
RMIT staff
who attend
sessions
provide
feedback as
to whether
their school is
interested in
the software.
Report
provided to
procurement
regarding
demand so
that cost of
volume
licence can be
investigated.
Assessment
of e-readers
as an option
for students
with print
disability.
To be moved to
2012 for
consideration
Complete
RMIT staff
attended
demonstration
and information
sessions. School
of Global Studies
is interested.
Martin to
organise a
meeting with
Laurie and
relevant school
staff.
2/4
12
ITS to identify key positions
with responsibility for assistive
technology & include
responsibilities in relevant
position descriptions & work
plans.
Evaluation/Continuous
improvement
13
Make available professional
Maintenance
development for Helpdesk &
Desktop support staff to
ensure they are up-to date with
assistive technology service
requirements.
Continue to advise regarding accessibility
of proposed lecture capturing systems
and the use of captioning.
Assistive technology
advisor.
ITAWG student
representatives
TBC
TBC
Appropriate
assessment
and advice
provided.
Provide training to helpdesk staff and
college technical staff.
Assistive technology
advisor, Debra Raca and
senior college managers.
July
Dec
Staff are
trained in how
users engage
with the
software and
are trained in
how to
respond to
frequently
asked
questions for
users.
Chris Barnes
from Echo360
provided a
demonstration.
Recommendatio
ns of
accessibility
report (2009)
have been taken
on. Captioning
turn-around
times 72 hours.
BUS, DSC ,SET
and academic
portfolio have
had training.
Helpdesk
pending.
2012 NB: The point(s) below are for consideration for next years workplan
ITS to establish an assistive
technology budget line to meet
its responsibility for
maintenance and upgrading of
software
Maintenance
User name lists to be changed as below:
Magic-Users -> "Zoomtext-Users"
Dragon9-Users -> "Dragon-Users"
Senior Systems
Administrator, Windows
Evaluation/Continuous
improvement
Trial to the use Dragon NaturallySpeaking Inclusive Technology
to produce a transcript of a desktop
Advisor and Senior
lecture.
Coordinator, Educ. Tech.
Integrat.
Evaluation/Continuous
improvement
MAC representative to be organised to
demonstrate accessibility features to
ITAWG members and interested RMIT
students staff.
Laurie Davis
MAR
SEPT
Evaluation/Continuous
improvement
Comparative evaluation of accessibility
features of Window7, MAC OS, IPAD and
popular assistive technologies
(ZoomText, JAWS, TextHelp and
Dragon).
Assistive technology
advisor.,Borisut
Padungpokkasoon and
Michael Lescohier
Dec
Dec
Evaluation
document
available on
ITAWG website.
Appropriate
assistive
technology is
selected for
3/4
RMIT.
4/4